Why have my kittens eye’s changed color?

You’ve adopted an adorable little kitten and he has the most beautiful blue eyes! But your kitty’s eyes may not always stay like this. Most kitten’s eyes will actually change color as he/she ages.

Cats are born with their eyes closed. But their eyes open at the age of approximately 2 weeks to reveal some incredible baby blues!

Only a small percentage of cats keep this beautiful blue eye color. Most cats’ eyes gradually change color, with the most common colors being green, yellow, hazel and golden brown. So why does this eye color change occur?

The iris — the colored portion of the eye — is colored by a pigment called melanin, which also colors skin, fur and, in the case of humans, hair. Melanin pigment only comes in one color: a yellowish brown tone. An individual’s eye color (along with skin, hair and fur color) isn’t determined by the color of melanin, but rather, by the amount of melanin that’s present.

Blue eyes have virtually no melanin present, as young kittens don’t produce a lot of melanin. But as they grow and age, the kitten’s body produces more melanin, triggering the eye color change, which occurs around 4 weeks of age and progresses until about 10 weeks of age. If your kitten still has blue eyes at 8 weeks of age, the chances are good that her eyes will remain blue into adulthood.

Some common blue-eyed cat breeds are Siamese, Himalayans, Ragdolls, Bengals, the Cornish Rex, the Tonkinese, the Javanese and color point Persians. Among domestic long hair and domestic short hair cats, those with white hair tend to be most apt to have blue eyes.

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